Rooms available - but not for Starpoints!
Dec 14, 2007, 9:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Tit, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold, Carlson Gold, UA*S,
Posts: 1,363
Rooms available - but not for Starpoints!
I was just trying to book a room in Grand Cayman towards the end of December.
Rooms are showing up for around $599/night.
Of course, I would like to use some points, and the option instructs me to call by phone... which I do, only to be told, "oh no sir, there are no redemption rooms available. The website is wrong."
I thought the whole point of this great program was that if a room was available, they'd give it to you!??
Similarly, booking 5 nights in Aruba in December over the holiday period show up as non-existent on the SPG site... over at Expedia.com, plenty to choose from at the SAME hotel!
Rooms are showing up for around $599/night.
Of course, I would like to use some points, and the option instructs me to call by phone... which I do, only to be told, "oh no sir, there are no redemption rooms available. The website is wrong."
I thought the whole point of this great program was that if a room was available, they'd give it to you!??
Similarly, booking 5 nights in Aruba in December over the holiday period show up as non-existent on the SPG site... over at Expedia.com, plenty to choose from at the SAME hotel!
Dec 14, 2007, 9:35 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: York, PA
Programs: MRSPG LT Tit, HH Diamond, Hertz Pres.
Posts: 1,737
I guess Marriott is doing SPG award stays now.
Dec 14, 2007, 9:36 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Washington DC; UA Premier Exec, Starwood Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 399
This has happened to me before. The hotel had a "mandatory rate" and would not accept award reservations. What ever happened to mandatory redemptions?
Dec 14, 2007, 11:08 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: DEN and a barrier island near RSW
Programs: 1K (I know, my screen name is outdated), Marriott Plat, *Wood Plat, Five Star, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,360
Sooner or later we'll all finally realize there are more asterisks and fine print to all of the guarantees and perks we have been promised than _________________. There are many good reasons SPG lost out at the Freddie's.
Last edited by DENPremEx; Dec 15, 2007 at 9:15 pm Reason: Edited due to overly sensitive fellow FTers and their inability to take a joke.
Dec 15, 2007, 12:10 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,308
It has to be a standard room. Any upgrade to the standard room and the guarantee doesn't apply (eg, view room, deluxe room, ...). It's possible that they are sold out of their standard rooms. It would not surprise me at all if a property on Grand Cayman is sold out of standard rooms for the end of December since it's now mid-December.
It can be difficult to tell if the available room is a "standard" room or not. SPG properties have all sorts of ways of labeling their rooms.
-David
It can be difficult to tell if the available room is a "standard" room or not. SPG properties have all sorts of ways of labeling their rooms.
-David
Dec 15, 2007, 8:20 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 1,243
Another possibility is that the hotel is in an oversold situation. Under those circumstances hotel rooms are not considered available and thus no award redemption is possible.
Dec 16, 2007, 6:12 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 380
In 1 case, I was later able to snag standard availability. 1 time, I had to pay the extra points.
Also, it wasn't clear to me from your post - were there rooms available on SPG.com, or some other sight? If you can't book and kind of room for the nights on SPG.com, you won't have luck getting award redemption at all.
Dec 16, 2007, 2:02 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
I was just trying to book a room in Grand Cayman towards the end of December.
Rooms are showing up for around $599/night.
Of course, I would like to use some points, and the option instructs me to call by phone... which I do, only to be told, "oh no sir, there are no redemption rooms available. The website is wrong."
I thought the whole point of this great program was that if a room was available, they'd give it to you!??
Similarly, booking 5 nights in Aruba in December over the holiday period show up as non-existent on the SPG site... over at Expedia.com, plenty to choose from at the SAME hotel!
Rooms are showing up for around $599/night.
Of course, I would like to use some points, and the option instructs me to call by phone... which I do, only to be told, "oh no sir, there are no redemption rooms available. The website is wrong."
I thought the whole point of this great program was that if a room was available, they'd give it to you!??
Similarly, booking 5 nights in Aruba in December over the holiday period show up as non-existent on the SPG site... over at Expedia.com, plenty to choose from at the SAME hotel!
Too bad - Cayman is a wonderful place to vacation. Still, count your blessings they refused your point stay. If nothing's changed, you would have felt ripped off anyway.
My opinion, for what it's worth.
Dec 17, 2007, 10:26 am
#10
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Not that a particular date was mentioned with regard to Grand Cayman, but checking from December 26th through the end of the year, there are no rooms for sale through the Customer Contact Center or online at spg.com. If you see availability anywhere else, such as Expedia, these are rooms which have already been sold to Expedia (which they are selling at a wholesale rate) and have been taken out of inventory for that reason.
However, checking from December 17th through December 26th, there is Preferred (free) Night Award availability both through the Customer Contact Center and spg.com, so my thoughts are that there is no conspiracy involved. The hotel just seems to be sold out. YMMV.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
However, checking from December 17th through December 26th, there is Preferred (free) Night Award availability both through the Customer Contact Center and spg.com, so my thoughts are that there is no conspiracy involved. The hotel just seems to be sold out. YMMV.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Dec 17, 2007, 10:37 am
#11
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Checking for Aruba, I find these dates with standard Preferred (free) Night Award availability for the rest of the month:
December 17, 18, 19
December 23, 24, 25
December 30, 31
Hotel looks to be sold out for:
December 20, 21, 22
December 26, 27, 28, 29
Again, if you see availability anywhere else, such as Expedia, these are rooms which have already been sold to Expedia (which they are selling at a wholesale rate) and have been taken out of inventory for that reason.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
December 17, 18, 19
December 23, 24, 25
December 30, 31
Hotel looks to be sold out for:
December 20, 21, 22
December 26, 27, 28, 29
Again, if you see availability anywhere else, such as Expedia, these are rooms which have already been sold to Expedia (which they are selling at a wholesale rate) and have been taken out of inventory for that reason.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]